Twins start fire sale by sending Kendrys Morales to Seattle

Minnesota's Kendrys Morales swings in his first at bat of the season during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 9, 2014. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)

The Twins' fire sale has begun.

Less than seven weeks after signing Kendrys Morales to bolster their lineup, the fading Twins dealt the veteran switch hitter back to the Seattle Mariners for Triple-A right-hander Stephen Pryor.

The Twins aren't sending along any money in the deal, according to a person with direct knowledge, which means the Mariners are on the hook for the entire $4.33 million that remains on Morales' one-year contract signed June 8.

"It's disappointing, because he was a good fit," Twins general manager Terry Ryan said. "I think a lot of people were surprised that we were the team that signed him. Everything was in order, and we just didn't respond. I don't know what our record was at the time, but it hasn't changed much."

When Ryan asked "Why not us?" at the news conference introducing Morales, the Twins were two games under .500 (29-31). They went 17-23 with Morales, a span that included a 10-game road losing streak, and opened Thursday's play 6-1/2 games out of the second American League wild card.

In his 47 days with the Twins, Morales earned roughly $3.08 million while hitting just one home run and driving in 18. The Cuban designated hitter saw significant time at first base after Joe Mauer landed on the disabled list, but the bulk of Morales' value always has been in his bat.

"I'm not second-guessing anything about bringing him on," Ryan said. "It didn't quite work out the way I was hoping, so we'll move on.

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Who will be the next to go?

Having moved one underperforming slugger in Morales, the Twins might be able to find a new home for left fielder Josh Willingham, two months from finishing out a three-year, $21 million contract. Willingham, the Twins' oldest player at 35, met briefly on the field with Ryan during batting practice.

According to a person with direct knowledge, the Twins have not engaged Willingham in talks regarding a possible contract extension.

All-star catcher Kurt Suzuki, playing on a one-year, $2.75 million deal, figures to draw significant trade interest amid a resurgence at the plate. According to two sources, recent talks regarding a contract extension ended quickly as the sides struggled to set a proper value for a player who earned $7.1 million last season, including a buyout of his 2014 option.

Baltimore, St. Louis, Toronto and the Los Angeles Dodgers are among clubs that could be seeking a catching upgrade. The Blue Jays had a scout at Target Field for the Cleveland series this week.

"We've got some people here that there will be interest in," Ryan said. "At this time of the year, you're going to have activity, especially if you're in the situation that the Twins are in right now. It's going to be a little busy now."

The Morales trade came one week before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

A year ago, the Twins made just one move at the deadline, sending Triple-A catcher Drew Butera to the Dodgers. At the Aug. 31 deadline for setting postseason rosters, they shipped star first baseman Justin Morneau to Pittsburgh.

Pryor, 25, opened the year on the Mariners' disabled list after surgery on his right lat. Since 2012, he has appeared in 34 games with the Mariners, posting a 2.81 earned-run average with 35 strikeouts in 32 innings.

A fifth-round draft pick in 2010 out of Tennessee Tech, he will be assigned to Triple-A Rochester. Pryor is 6 feet 4 and 245 pounds and boasts a mid-90s fastball, but he has been slowed by command issues.

"He's got plenty of stuff," Ryan said.

Booed by some Seattle fans during a recent Twins visit, Morales rejected a $14.1 million qualifying offer from the Mariners last offseason. That led to him sitting out all of spring training and the first two-plus months this season while his agent, Scott Boras, searched for a suitable landing spot.

The Twins, who came to terms with Morales on June 7, waited until after the start of the June 5-7 draft to avoid losing a second-round draft pick.

Morales opened his Twins career with a six-game hitting streak, but after averaging 26.3 homers in his past three full seasons, the 31-year-old's power stroke never materialized.

Morales' combined on-base/slugging percentage was just .584 for the Twins despite the fact he enjoys hitting at Target Field. He hit .234 in 162 plate appearances, drawing just five unintentional walks and striking out 27 times.

His park- and league-adjusted OPS was 62, or 38 percent below league average.

To take Morales' spot on the 25-man roster, infielder Jorge Polanco was recalled from Class A Fort Myers.